This is turning out to be a good year for books that I’ve always wished somebody would write. Back in March we got the first full-scale study of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, and it was everything I’d hoped it would be.

Today I ran across another new book that I’m frantic to read, Kevin T. Barksdale’s The Lost State of Franklin: America’s First Secession. This is a fascinating chapter of early American history that’s gone unexamined for far too long, and I’m glad somebody’s finally putting out a detailed piece of research on it.

This baby just shot to the top of my reading list. Unfortunately, I’m neck-deep in class preparation, so it’ll be a while before I can dive in. I’ll let you know what I think.